No. 2 Hays survives in overtime; Girls fall in Salina

GIRLS: #1 Salina Central 83 – Hays 19The Hays High Lady Indians were looking for their first win on the season taking on the best team in 5A the Salina Central Lady Mustangs on Tuesday night in Salina. Hays hung around early down 5-3 midway through the first quarter and had a few shots at taking the lead. Central turned up their full court pressure and forced Hays into 10 first quarter turnovers leading to an 11-0 Central run to take a 16-3 Mustang lead. After a basket from Hays, Central went on a 12-0 run and led 36-11 at half time.

Salina Central outscored Hays 18-1 in the third quarter and 29-7 in the fourth to close out an 83-19 win for the Mustangs. It was the most points allowed by Hays all season and the fewest the Indians had scored.

Central had four score in double figures including Kansas State commit Shaelyn Martin along with Nebraska walk-on Emily Wood each scoring 16. The night though belonged to Brooke Peters who scored a career high 17, while Bailey Driver added in a season best 10.

Hays was led by Audra Schmeidler with six points and career best 10 rebounds.

BOYS: #2 Hays 51 – #9 Salina Central 50 OTThe Hays High Indians hadn’t played a game in 11 days and only one over the past 16 showed little signs of rust jumping out to a 10-3 lead after eight straight points from Lane Clark. Hays would push the first quarter advantage to 14-6 with a little over two minutes remaining. Hays would score just two points over the next 10:15 seconds when Salina Central went on a 21-2 run to lead at half time 27-16.

Central grabbed their biggest lead of 13 over the first two and half minutes of the third quarter before Hays slowly reeled the hot three point shooting Mustangs back in. Hays got with in six on a 9-2 run and even pulled the game within three points on a Keith Dryden offensive rebound and stick back with 1:30 to go in the third quarter. Central though closed the third quarter and opened the fourth on a 8-2 run pushing their advantage to nine at 42-33 with 7:30 left in the game.

Hays would hold to Central to just a pair of free throws for the rest of regulation while reeling off an 8-0 run over the final 3:02 to tie the game with 1:00 to go on a Kyler Niernberger layup. Both Hays and Central had a chance to win the game in regulation. The Mustangs pulled the clock down to less than 12 seconds when Central attacked the paint but Brady Werth blocked Jordan McNelly shot in the lane. Isaiah Nunnery found Lane Clark on a outlet pass but Clark came up short on the potential game winning shot from three feet beyond the three point line.

In over time the score was tied at 46 and 47 before Brady Werth game Hays a 49-47 lead with 1:36 to go. Central responded back with a three pointer from Max Kuhn, his first field goal of the game giving the Mustangs a 50-49 lead with 53 seconds left. Hays ran their offense and Lane Clark found himself at the basket among three Central defenders and laid a shot in with 15 seconds left giving Hays a 51-50 advantage. Central used a timeout and got to the paint before the Indians blocked another shot that went out of bounds with 2 second remaining. Central’s last shot came on a fade away deep three from freshman Brayden Neuschafer who had already scored 11, keeping Hays record intact at 14-0. Salina Central drops to 8-6.

Hays shot 21 of 44 in the game and made just 3 of their 14 three’s. Central on the flip side made 9 of 17 three’s on a 16 for 36 performance overall from the field.